In qualification for the

2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...

, thirteen Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) nations compete for one full place, and one repechage place (Repechage 2, against Oceania 3). No Asian teams qualified for the quarter finals in 2003, so none qualify automatically in 2007. Only Japan has been to the World Cup, participating in all five RWCs to date, with only one win in 1991 (England) against Zimbabwe, 52–8. Asia 1 will go into Group B with Australia, Wales, Fiji and Canada.

Qualification process

Initial pools were based on results from

2003–04 ARFU Asian Rugby Series The 2003–04 ARFU Asian Rugby Series was the first edition of a tournament created by Asian Rugby Football Union for national teams. The formula was in two step. The 12 teams were divided in three pool of three, then, according to the results o ...

as given below, and was part of

2005 ARFU Asian Rugby Series The 2005 ARFU Asian Rugby Series was the second edition of a tournament created by Asian Rugby Football Union for national teams. It was also valid as first round of Asian qualification for 2007 Rugby World cup. Tournament First Division ...

Thus initial division allocations for 2005 were: Division 1: , , . Division 2: , , Flag of the Arab League

Arabian Gulf. Division 3A: , , . Division 3B: , , , .

Round 1a

Division 1 play off for placings, all three teams going into Round 2, along with the winner and runner up of Division 2. The winners of Divisions 3A and 3B go into Round 1b.

Round 1b

The winners of Divisions 3A and 3B playoff (home and away) for the final place in Round 2.

Round 2

The round was part of

2006 ARFU Asian Rugby Series The 2006 ARFU Asian Rugby Series was the third edition of a tournament created by Asian Rugby Football Union for national teams. First and second division were also valid as second round of Asian qualification for 2007 Rugby World cup Tourna ...

(first and second divisions). The top two teams from Division 1 and the winner of Division 2 form the new Division 1 (2006). Third place from Division 1, the runner up of Division 2, and the playoff winner from Round 1b form the new Division 2 (2006). The winner and runner up of Division 1 (2006), and the winner of Division 2 (2006), go through to Round 3.

Round 3

The three qualifiers from the previous round form a new Division 1. The winner goes to World Cup 2007 as Asia 1. The runner up plays off against Oceania 3 for Repechage 2.

Round 1a – 2005

''Home OR Away basis.''

Pool A (Division 1 2005)

All three teams go through to Round 2 – the winner and runner up into Division 1 (2006), third place into Division 2 (2006). Final Standings : ---- ---- ----

Pool B (Division 2 2005)

''The top two teams go through to Round 2, the winner ( Arabian Gulf) into Division 1 (2006), the runner up (China) into Division 2 (2006). '' : ---- ---- ----

Division 3 Pool A (2005)

''Sri Lanka qualifies for home and away playoff (Round 1b) against winner of Division 3 Pool B (Kazakhstan).'' : ---- ---- ----

Division 3 Pool B (2005)

''Kazakhstan qualifies for home and away playoff (Round 1b) against winner Division 3 Pool A (Sri Lanka).'' : ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Round 1b – October 2005

: ---- ----

Round 2 – April – May 2006

''Home OR Away basis. Top two teams from Division 1 of

(Japan, Korea) and top team from Division 2 (Hong Kong) go through to round 3.''

Division 1 (2006)

: ---- ---- ----

Division 2 (2006)

: ---- ---- ----

Round 3 – 18–25 November 2006, Hong Kong

''All games in Hong Kong. Winner (Japan) qualifies directly to RWC 2007 as Asia 1. Runner up (Korea) advances to Repechage round as Asia 2, to play Tonga for Repechage 2.'' ''The series was originally scheduled to be played in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. However, security considerations prompted the series to be moved to Hong Kong.'' : ---- ---- ----

Notes

External links

World Cup website
{{DEFAULTSORT:World Cup

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

Asia 2005 in Asian rugby union 2006 in Asian rugby union